I am so pleased with the results of Dereck Rodriguez, but why hasn't Reyes Moronta been given more recognition? He's a beast!
-- John S., Crystal Lake, Ill.
I'll readily acknowledge that I should have seized an opportunity to write something more extensive about Moronta. I'll try my best to do so before the season ends. He seems to have an absolutely fearless attitude. You could even make a case for Moronta to be the team's most valuable player. Sure, guys like Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford are probably more talented. But with the possible exception of Rodriguez, who is performing his respective role this season better than Moronta has?
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When are we going to see Chris Shaw? Do you think he will be much of a contributor for the Giants in the coming years? I get the impression that he is an Adam Duvall type of player, in that he won't do much at AT&T Park, but perhaps would thrive in a place like Cincinnati. Does this mean that Shaw might be worth more to trade now than to lose value as his power disappears in San Francisco, like it does for so many players -- such as Jarrett Parker or Mac Williamson?
-- Will P., Idaho Falls, Idaho
With 132 strikeouts in 361 at-bats with Triple-A Sacramento entering Thursday, it's fair to say that Shaw is undergoing some adjustments with his hitting. If he's struggling to hit, including him among the September callups could do him more harm than good, though his total of 22 home runs reflects his considerable potential.
I think it's wrong to speculate about Shaw's future. Give him a chance to show what he can become. Don't automatically assume that Shaw is destined to develop into yet another hitter whose skills, psyche or both are broken by AT&T Park's challenging dimensions. Right now, he apparently needs to gain consistency at the plate. I've had relatively few encounters with Shaw, but I believe that he possesses enough mental toughness to handle whatever's thrown at him. We'll find out soon enough whether the skeptics or believers are correct.
Where do you see Joey Bart playing next season? Do you think he could be playing in Sacramento next year?
-- Al N., Rancho Cordova
Bart very well could finish the season in Triple-A. But rare is the Giants prospect who doesn't spend at least a few months with Class A Advanced San Jose. The California League has long been a superb training ground for players. Look for Bart to begin the season with San Jose. But if he continues to be as good as he apparently is, he won't stay there for long.
I fear that the Giants will wait too long to move Posey to a less demanding position to prolong his career. Trading Brandon Belt and installing Posey at first base could be a solution. If that is not feasible, could Posey make the transition to third base?
-- Gerald L., Columbus, Ind.
Finding a taker for Belt is crucial to your scenario. And despite Belt's .800-plus career OPS, other teams probably would avoid dealing for him due to his injury history and $16 million annual salary through 2021. So unless a club that wants to acquire Belt is willing to assume a significant portion of his salary, I don't envision the Giants trading him to clear first base for Posey.
As for Posey moving to third, precedents exist for this sort of thing. Suffice it to say that this kind of switch doesn't always work. In 1982, the Reds thought that moving future Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench to third base would be a great idea. That season, he accumulated 19 errors in 107 games and finished with a minus-15 rating in total fielding runs. Bench's '83 numbers improved to six errors and a minus-3 rating. That's because he appeared in only 42 games at third.